Celebrating the New Year

Every year we have a small get together in the hamlet (small village) where everyone brings something small to eat and we share a glass or two of wine, wish each other all the best for the coming year and catch up. I would say that our hamlet is pretty representative of many small rural communities in the Loire – a range of people from all social backgrounds and professions. Here in Cumeray we have ourselves (the outsiders but specialising in a subject close to the hearts of the French, wine), a retired anthropologist, a retired Parisien chef, a lovely German lady, a good handful of teachers, a couple in the military, a chap that does all the odd jobs in the area and provides the wood for all our wood burning stoves, a young couple that run the local newspaper shop and some farmers to name a few.

We have hosted the evening for the past two years as our lovely cellar has plenty of space and being used to receiving people we are well equipped. It’s probably the only time during the year when we all get together with an age span ranging from 3 to 89.